The present invention generally relates to the production of a beverage or a liquid comestible on the basis of a capsule, which capsule contains ingredients which are able to produce a beverage or liquid comestible when interacting with a liquid, such as for example hot pressurised water, introduced into the volume of the capsule.
Especially in the field of coffee machines, machines have been widely developed in which an initially hermetically sealed capsule containing beverage ingredients is inserted (while still being sealed) in an opened extraction module. Then the extraction module surrounding the capsule is tightly closed, water is injected at the first face of the capsule, the beverage is produced in the volume of the capsule and a produced beverage can be drained from a second face of the capsule.
Once the beverage production process is finished, the used capsule has to be removed from the extraction module.
Different approaches are known for facilitating the handling of such capsule-based beverage production machines.
EP 1 095 605 A1 teaches an ejection mechanism for such a capsule, wherein when opening the extraction module, automatically an ejector device, mechanically coupled to the opening movement, lifts the used capsule off its support.
In order to inject the liquid into the capsule, often needle-like elements are used which perforate the capsule from outside. Once the water injection and beverage production process is finished, the capsule tends to stay attached to these injection means. To overcome this problem, EP 1 444 932 A1 proposes an extraction module, which is closed linearly (in contrast to a rotational closing movement) and which comprises means for detaching a capsule from the water injection means (needles).